January 21, 2012
COMIC GOLD:
"The Time for Games is Over" (Interview with Amitai Etzioni -- 16.01.2012, The European)
The European: You are German by birth, American by choice. Looking back across the Atlantic now, what is your impression of the European state of affairs?Etzioni: I am looking at Europe not as an American but as a sociologist who has studied the European Union from the very beginning. Today we can observe a tragic mistake: The introduction of more European centralism without the construction of a sense of community. It is impossible to impose constraints on nation-states from the outside unless those nations are bound to the larger entities by a sense of loyalty and commitment.The European: Advocates of EU integration would respond that times of crisis demand determined actions. The focus is on securing the foundations of the EU, not on democratic processes or a European identity.
You can't make stuff like that up. These folks really think the institution itself is more important than its legitimacy.
Posted by Orrin Judd at January 21, 2012 9:38 AM
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